Plate Reverb: The Complete Beginner's Guide

Plate Reverb: The Complete Beginner’s Guide

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Plate reverb is a type of artificial reverb renowned for its lush, dense sound. It emerged as a groundbreaking technology in music production, adding a unique sonic signature to countless classic recordings. The characteristic warmth, depth, and subtle modulation of plate reverb make it highly sought after for adding a touch of studio magic to vocals, strings, drums, and more.

This blog post aims to guide you through the world of plate reverb, from its historical evolution to its technical workings, unique sonic characteristics, and diverse applications in music production. We’ll also explore both hardware and plugin options, providing you with the knowledge and tools to harness this iconic effect in your own music.

A Journey Through Time: The Evolution of Reverb

Before diving into the specifics of plate reverb, let’s take a step back and understand how reverb itself evolved over time.

Echo Chambers

In the early days of recording, engineers relied on echo chambers – purpose-built rooms designed to create natural reverb. This involved playing the audio signal through a speaker into the chamber and capturing the reflected sound with microphones. While this method offered authentic ambiance, it was incredibly limiting. Echo chambers were:

  • Large and Inflexible: Dedicated rooms required significant space and were difficult to adjust once constructed.
  • Expensive to Build: Construction costs made echo chambers a luxury only accessible to well-funded studios.

Despite their limitations, echo chambers played a pivotal role in the evolution of reverb. Bill Putnam, a legendary audio engineer and founder of Universal Audio, is credited as one of the first to utilize artificial reverb creatively. His early experiments with an echo chamber at the Chicago Opera House paved the way for more practical and accessible methods of creating artificial reverb.

The Dawn of Plates

The mid-1950s saw the emergence of the EMT 140, the first commercially available plate reverb. Released in 1957, it revolutionized music production by offering a more convenient and cost-effective alternative to echo chambers.

The EMT 140 was a large and unwieldy device, but it was a game-changer. These units were housed in massive cabinets, often measuring up to 8 feet by 4 feet and weighing up to 600 pounds!

The arrival of plate reverb marked a significant shift in studio practice. Its unique sonic character, combined with its relative convenience compared to echo chambers, propelled it to become a staple in professional recording studios.

The Digital Revolution

The late 1970s ushered in the digital revolution in audio, leading to the development of the Lexicon 224, a groundbreaking digital reverb unit. It offered advanced features like modulation, split decay, and multiple reverb algorithms, significantly expanding the creative possibilities of artificial reverb.

While the Lexicon 224 wasn’t the first digital reverb, it was the first to achieve widespread adoption in studios. Its sophisticated features and versatile sound quickly made it the industry standard, eventually replacing plate reverbs in many studios. However, the Lexicon 224 came with a hefty price tag, costing around $7,500 in 1978!

Anatomy of a Plate Reverb: How It Works

To understand the unique sound of plate reverb, it’s crucial to grasp its inner workings. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process:

  1. Signal Input: The audio signal you want to add reverb to is sent to the plate reverb unit.
  2. Transducer Conversion: A transducer at the center of the plate converts the audio signal into mechanical vibrations.
  3. Plate Vibration and Reflection: These vibrations travel through the large, thin sheet of steel suspended by springs. As the vibrations propagate across the plate, they create a complex pattern of reflections.
  4. Microphone Pickup: Contact microphones positioned near the edge of the plate pick up these vibrations, converting them back into an audio signal.
  5. Wet/Dry Mixing: The output from the microphones is then mixed with the original dry signal, creating the reverb effect.

Additionally, a damping mechanism on the plate allows engineers to control the reverb time, providing further flexibility in shaping the sound.

The Magic of Metal: Unique Characteristics of Plate Reverb

The physical properties of the metal plate and the mechanics of its vibration contribute to the distinct characteristics of plate reverb:

  • Dense and Bright: Sound travels much faster through metal than air, leading to a denser, brighter sound with a rich low-frequency response.
  • Unique Modulation: The subtle vibration of the plate introduces a unique modulation effect, adding a shimmer and movement to the reverb tail.
  • Longer Decay: The large surface area of the plate allows for longer decay times, creating a spacious and expansive ambiance.
  • Two-Dimensional Sound: Unlike a three-dimensional room, the flat surface of the plate produces a different reflection pattern, resulting in its distinctive character.

These characteristics combine to create the signature sound of plate reverb – a lush, dense, and enveloping ambiance that has become a staple in music production.

Mastering the Plate: Applications in Modern Production

Vocals

Plate reverb is a popular choice for adding smoothness and depth to vocals, helping them stand out in a mix. On lead vocals, it can create a distinct, almost ethereal sound, particularly when the other instruments have a more natural or “realistic” spatial quality.

For backing vocals, plate reverb can create a beautiful sense of space and depth, making them sound further back in the mix. To enhance this effect, you can use an EQ to low-pass the reverb, removing some of the high-frequency content and creating a more distant and “cloudy” sound.

A common technique is to send all vocal tracks to a dedicated reverb bus with a plate reverb plugin. You can then adjust the send level for each vocal individually, controlling how far back in the mix they sit based on the amount of reverb applied.

However, it’s important to remember that plate reverb isn’t always the perfect choice for vocals. Its distinctively “produced” sound might not suit every genre or style, and in some cases, it can sound too vintage or artificial.

String Sections

Plate reverb beautifully enhances the natural ambiance of recorded strings, making them sound lush and expansive. When recording string ensembles, engineers often place microphones at a distance to capture a natural room sound.

Adding plate reverb can complement this existing ambiance, creating a sense of depth and spaciousness without sounding artificial or clashing with the natural room tone. This unique characteristic of plate reverb allows both the natural and artificial reverbs to coexist harmoniously. The settings of the plate reverb can be adjusted to match the emotional quality of the string arrangement, creating a warm and intimate sound for melancholic melodies or a grand and expansive sound for epic scores.

Drums

Plate reverb can add a classic, vintage drum sound with long, epic tails. It works exceptionally well on snare drums and toms, adding a touch of “bigness” and dimension.

A plate reverb on a drum bus can create a cohesive and expansive sound for the entire kit, while using it on individual drum tracks allows for more precise control over the reverb’s character and placement within the mix.

Even when drums already have natural room sounds from room microphones or other ambient elements, plate reverb can add another layer of depth and richness, giving them a classic, vintage vibe that complements modern production techniques.

The Digital Age: Top Plate Reverb Plugin Recommendations

In the digital age, countless plugins accurately emulate the distinctive sound of hardware plate reverbs, offering a variety of options for different budgets and production needs. Here are some of the top recommendations:

High-End/Professional

  • UAD EMT 140 Plate: Renowned for its authenticity and accuracy in replicating the legendary EMT 140 hardware unit. This plugin captures the nuances and sonic details of the original plate reverb, making it a favorite among professional engineers seeking a faithful reproduction of the classic sound.

  • Waves Abbey Road Plates: This plugin emulates the famous EMT 140 plate reverbs used at Abbey Road Studios, offering a taste of the iconic sound that shaped countless legendary recordings. It features three distinct plate types, each with its unique sonic character, allowing you to explore the revered ambiance of Abbey Road.

Mid-Range/Versatile

  • Valhalla Plate: Celebrated for its affordability and versatility, this plugin provides a wide range of plate material emulations, from classic brass and steel to more experimental options like lithium. Its extensive control set allows you to fine-tune the reverb’s character, making it a powerful tool for both subtle and dramatic spatial effects.

  • Kush Audio Goldplate: This plugin stands out for its unique combination of plate reverb emulation and additional features like saturation, compression, and filtering. These integrated tools allow you to shape and enhance the reverb sound, providing a complete solution for achieving a polished and professional sound.

Budget-Friendly/Simple

  • Soundtoys Little Plate: This plugin offers a simple and intuitive interface with minimal controls, making it an excellent choice for beginners or those seeking a quick and easy way to add plate reverb to their tracks. Despite its simplicity, it delivers a surprisingly authentic plate sound, making it a valuable tool for any budget.

FAQ Section

  • What’s the difference between plate reverb and other types of reverb (hall, room, spring)?

    • Plate reverb: Dense, bright, with a unique modulation and longer decay, often used on vocals, strings, and drums for a classic touch.
    • Hall reverb: Simulates the large, open space of a concert hall, creating a very expansive sound with long reverb tails. Often used on orchestral music, piano, and vocals for a grand and majestic feel.
    • Room reverb: Recreates the ambiance of a smaller, more confined space, adding a sense of intimacy and realism to recordings. Frequently used on drums, acoustic instruments, and vocals for a natural and blended sound.
    • Spring reverb: Produces a characteristically metallic and “twangy” reverb, commonly found in guitar amplifiers. It’s often used for a distinct vintage sound, particularly in rock, surf, and psychedelic music.

  • Can I use plate reverb on any instrument?
    While plate reverb is most commonly used on vocals, strings, and drums, it can be applied to other instruments depending on the desired effect. It can add depth and shine to electric guitars, thickness and ambiance to synths, and even a unique texture to sound effects. Experimenting with plate reverb on different instruments can lead to creative and unexpected results.

  • How do I choose the right plate reverb plugin for my needs?

    • Consider your budget: High-end plugins offer the most accurate emulations but come at a higher price, while budget-friendly options provide a solid foundation for exploring the plate sound.
    • Consider your desired level of control: Some plugins offer intricate control over every aspect of the reverb, while others focus on simplicity and ease of use. Choose a plugin that aligns with your workflow and technical preferences.
    • Consider the specific features you need: Some plate reverbs include additional tools like saturation, compression, or filtering. If you need these features, look for a plugin that integrates them for a streamlined workflow.

Conclusion

Plate reverb emerged as a revolutionary technology, transforming the landscape of music production and leaving an enduring mark on countless classic recordings. Its unique sonic characteristics, from its dense and bright quality to its subtle modulation and longer decay, continue to make it a popular choice among producers and engineers seeking to add depth, character, and a touch of studio magic to their music.

Whether you choose to explore the faithful emulations of vintage hardware or delve into the creative possibilities of modern plugins, understanding the origins, workings, and artistic potential of plate reverb opens up a world of sonic possibilities in your musical journey.